i love the gifts i find on the beach each morning...today i found this beautiful heart shell fragment...can you imagine my excitement at this discovery?

i am so grateful for the many graces of my life...to be able to walk on the beach every day of my life is a blessing beyond measure...that is why i hold my heart in my hand today...it is bursting with joy...

the changes that are happening in this transition period have been amazing...i am growing so much and discovering just how much strength i have been given...God is indeed good to me and i am believing for a miracle...and best of all i am learning that i need very little to survive and be happy...

ideas are everywhere...job opportunities less so...i am having a lesson on hard work this week...i guess i have always thought that if you worked really hard the money would follow...one of the issues i have about money...

MONEY does not equal hard work

and

HARD WORK does not equal money

while walking along the beach this week in meditative prayer i have learned the parable of shark's teeth...i always invite Jesus to walk with me...and i open my heart to receive His guidance...

i love to linger in a shell bed right where the waves are washing the shore looking for shark's teeth...if i look with deep intensity and concentration, i usually find a few...if you have ever walked along the shore with me you have seen me spot one out of the corner of my eye, bend down and pick up a beautiful specimen...

so why do i sometimes labor over a shell bed when i could walk along and find the shark's teeth that i am meant to find...laying there for me as if placed by the hand of God...it is not difficult or time consuming...it just happens...all i have to do is be quick enough to grab it before the water washes it away...

is the same not true about your life and your business...if you try so hard and labor frantically for success it seems illusive...but if you let go of the need to succeed and steadily work in the flow...it seems so much easier to accomplish your goals...and find the successes of life...

and these are the life lessons i so need to learn...asking for help when i need it instead of shouldering the entire burden myself...going with the flow instead of fighting upstream...letting go of the need to be in control all the time...walking steadily toward my goal and taking the time to enjoy the journey...

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

i am grateful this morning for all the blessings i have in my life...especially the special people who have remained steadfast during the dark times of the past two years...

"Transforming or changing something in your life takes courage because you can't see what the actual outcome will be. So, what are you not doing 'now' because of what 'might' happen in the future? You will never know what is on the other side of that decision until you make the decision...and then take action!. So what are you waiting for?" - Yvonne Rice...Smiling at you here!

i have been through my dark night of the soul...and i have emerged from the cocoon of self-doubt, fear and suffering stronger, more attuned to the energy around me, with an open heart and a renewed purpose, humbly grateful... and with the courage to stand in my own truth...

i have wisdom i never wanted or imagined i needed...and i have made the spirit-led decision to share this wisdom with those of you i am in this world to teach...you know who you are if you have been led here to find your path to becoming an holistic wealth being...i embrace you and i am here to serve you...

Monday, July 13, 2009

"We are coming to the end of the age of employer and employee. Employers can't guarantee jobs anymore because they don't know what their companies will look like next year. Everyone is on their way to becoming an independent contractor. The new workforce contract will be: Show up at my office five days a week and do what I want, but handle your own insurance, benefits and health care. This used to happen only with highly educated professionals. Now it is happening at the level of the factory floor worker."

"This fracturing of American business is now in its second generation."

"This has several implications, the first of which is that we are now getting false readings on the economy."

"Outsourcing also confused the numbers."

Obviously something has confused the numbers and the corporations and the nation...

We must ask ourselves, "Can we possibly trust the same people that got us into this economic mess to get us out of it?"

I do not believe we can...

Our world is indeed going through a cleansing process...and no place will this cleansing be more evident than in the world of business! We no longer trust big corporations balance sheets nor the executives who approved them. We see jobs disappearing and finances crumbling as a result of the virtual business model and greed of the past few decades.

It is time for a change. It is time for new thinking. It is time to restructure the way we work and feel about working. Small businesses will use this transition period to reshape and re-engineer the very foundation of our economic structure.

I believe that now, more than ever before, women are poised to lead these small businesses with an inherent skill and a pioneering spirit I call the (r)Evolutionary Woman.

The (r)Evolution of (r)Ebecca...

I have created a new business model honoring my soul, my values and my vision. I stand firmly in the knowing that my life and business are never really separate…so you will see that my approach to mentoring is holistic taking care of every part of you–spiritual, physical, emotional, social, intellectual, creative and material. This is the basis for my Lifestyle Business model.

I have a lot of business knowledge to give women, especially spiritual women business owners. I have been mentoring people for the past 15 years, usually on a one-to-one basis. I have helped them build wildly successful businesses doing what they love.

I keep talking about my path and journey, so you will understand the process I went through to get where I am today. And the Evolution Revolution I experienced.

Learning to embrace fully the creative part of me has always been easy–a piece of cake. When I was struggling to make money doing what I love, I made the conscious decision to become an expert in business management and practices. The student of all things business became my analysis addiction. And that addiction propelled me into expert status. With that hard-won expertise, I have helped thousands of people learn to be skilled entrepreneurs.

But too much of anything can be just that…too much! I realized I was spending so much time exercising and developing my business muscles that other areas of my life began to atrophy. And when a good thing causes paralysis by analysis, you have to (re)Group big-time.

I began to search for balance in my life and my business and gradually my business evolved into what I call 'a lifestyle business' – one that supports who I am, honors my way of life, and aligns my passion with my purpose.

About a decade ago, having mastered the creative and business paths of my life’s journey, I felt the stirrings of something else. Something that had always been an important part of my life and who I am…my foundation–my spirituality.

My spirituality has always been a part of how I operated my businesses because it could never be separated from the me that I am. Although I never had the courage to verbalize it, my spiritual self managed to come across in my books, articles, speeches and teaching. People were coming to me to learn art making and/or business, and leaving with life-altering breakthroughs. These are typical responses of my students:

“I came to learn how to be a faux finisher, but Rebecca changed my life. She taught me how to value myself as a woman and honor the talent I have, plus so much more.”

“I still have my rock from your speech a few years ago.” (He takes a rock from his pocket and shows me) “That day was a turning point in my life and my business. I learned that I could charge what I needed to charge and not feel guilty about it. My wife and family call you our angel.”

“I was getting a divorce and was so depressed and afraid when I met Rebecca. The three days I spent with her mentoring, teaching and befriending me changed my perception, my life and my soul. I was able to reinvent myself and create a thriving business doing what I love. Thank you Rebecca from the bottom of my heart.”

So I cautiously began integrating the spiritual, the creative and the business parts of me to form a new business model. During this process I discovered three life-changing things:

My Life Purpose is…Visionary Spiritual Leader, Mentor and Healer with a Big (global) Job to Do. This means I am here to create new groundbreaking ideas and be a spiritual leader, mentor and healer on a massive scale.

My Life School is...Love and Service. This means I am here to develop my ability to love myself and others while staying present with my feelings no matter the circumstance; not to stuff my emotions, withdraw or go out of control. I am also here to develop my ability to be in service consciousness while I learn to serve joyfully without an agenda; to help, not control; to service others without neglecting myself.

My Life Lesson is...Emotional Authenticity and Self-Sacrifice. This means I must open my heart, feel the feelings and embrace fully all aspects of my personality while learning to nurture without burdensome obligation, self-sacrifice, self-indulgence or selfishness.

It was in attending this life school and doing the homework of the life lessons that I became an Holistic Soul Proprietor™ and a Wealth BEing™. Because I have clarity of purpose, my life and my business have blossomed beyond my wildest dreams. Now I am comfortable to live amongst this ability to build a life while serving others and guiltlessly making money doing what I love. And I am able to help others also!

This all brings me to my new business model and the launch of my new business venture…

Rebecca E. Parsons Holistic Wealth BEing and Wealth Being MentorMentor & Midwife to Heart & Spirit Centered Lifestyle Entrepreneurs–helping them birth the business of their dreams!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

This is from Inspirations E-Zine...a Global Community For All...the e-zine is filled with short, inspiring stories of love, healing, and empowerment every quarter. They share these wonderfully inspiring stories to encourage and inspire each other to be the best we can be each day of our lives. If you would like to receive Inspirations, click here. May these words inspire you to deepen your commitment to love, heal, and empower; to be open to divine guidance; and to choose what’s best for all. Photos are mine taken in Myrtle Beach, SC last week.

Twelve Rules of Spiritual Wisdom—Author Unknown

1. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

2. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.

3. Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.

4. Dear God, I have a problem, it's me.

5. Laugh every day, it's like inner jogging.

6. Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.

7. THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN YOUR HOME ARE THE PEOPLE.

8. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home everyday.

9. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.

10. It's all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you are done.

11. Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage. The goals and dreams you're seeking require courage and risk taking. Learn from the turtle, it only makes progress when it sticks out it's neck.

12. Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

Monday, July 6, 2009

....that it could seem like you are losing something right now, but do not be fooled. This is simply a turnaround orchestrated by your soul.

Even before this, you were. And even after all this passes away, you shall be. All the Rest Of It is stuff and nonsense. The accoutrement. The flora and fauna. Pretty, perhaps. Shiny and sparkling, perhaps. But having nothing to do with anything.

Let it go. Release it. If it was not supposed to be removing itself from you now, it would not be doing so. It will never return to you in this exact form, and it is not intended to. If it returns at all, it will be in a higher form. That is the purpose of its leaving. All of life only improves itself. It can't do anything else. This is called evolution. Trust it. And now, smile. Tomorrow is coming! Tomorrow is coming!

Friday, July 3, 2009

passion is the life blood flowing forth from you to connect to the world...

what is your burning desire...

what keeps you up late into the night without regard to time or space...

what fuels your soul?

You must be able to passionately describe your vision. You must have a fire burning inside you. You must be driven by your dream. I received this question from a former coaching student. The following is the question and my answer...it describes my feeling about passion...

I am a fan ... read you in the The Faux Finisher all the time ... you have the life I should have had ... and hope to have something similar soon ... thank you for your inspiration and your advice ... M

M:

Thank you for your kind words. I pray that your dreams come true soon. You can always start part-time while doing another job. I did!! It takes patience, but is worth it in the end. If you have a passion for painting and believe in your skills, you can do what you love every day...I promise.

To help you do this, I will share a Secret Plan to reorienting your life around your passion. This is actually a session from my Mini Business Workshop. The plan begins with passion and leads to success.

The first step in the plan—starting from the heart and discovering your passion—by identifying your dreams. Start from any other source and you set yourself up for frustration and regret. Fulfillment comes only when the results you seek and the activities you embrace are in accordance with the person you are. You cannot look to reason or judgment for insights into your soul. Who you are is what’s in your heart.

Make A Decision, Make A Commitment

You have probably thought and dreamed about having your own business for years. All too often people convince themselves that you could not succeed. You fail to make the DECISION TO GO FOR IT.

This is the simplest step to take for your future, but many people fail to take it and live their lives with regrets. Just decide that you are going to go for it and make a commitment to make this goal a reality. It’s that simple! Do you know how many great artists are working jobs that they hate, dreaming of something else, but refusing to take this one step? It costs nothing to decide. Commitment is free. You are limiting yourself. Why?

You must be able to passionately describe your vision. You must have a fire burning inside you. You must be driven by your dream.

My second little secret to achieving your goals is writing them down. Take a sheet of paper and write the following - "I must be a decorative painter and I am committed to making this a reality." That is all you need to do now. You have taken the first step toward your dream, you have put it on paper. Now your brain can start working on how to achieve it. I am proud of you.

After you come to terms with your Dream, it is time for reasoning and rationalizing. You must clarify your purpose and define your actions—you need to think. Because the world can often dissuade you from pursuing your passion by presenting roadblocks. You must pursue it with forethought and care. Careful and thoughtful planning can help you define a purpose and set a strategy for following your Dream. This is our Business Plan

Once you have felt you passion and thought it through, it is time to act. Equipped with both your passion and your plan, you will begin to make changes in your life. This is Taking Care of Business.

If you remain true to your passion and follow these steps, you will find the results you seek. And you will also reap rewards you never anticipated because passion can take you to another level of living. It can open worlds and expand horizons. It can bring new awareness and heightened perceptions. It can empower and improve. Your idea of Success may change as you begin to fulfill your potential, but your passion will propel you onward to even greater achievement and happiness.

so what point am i trying to make with this? last night i spoke with one of my mentors. He asked me about my new business model and asked me to describe it. I faltered at first and then went on to describe 2 or 3 business models i am trying to marry... He listened and then said, "Rebecca, you have a track record and an established brand with the Doing What You Love. You have credibility and name recognition, why do you want to change that?"

this was written about me a few years ago:

A master decorative painter, widely-read columnist, popular motivational speaker and instructor, Rebecca E. Parsons has spent over 30 years honing her craft. For the past fifteen years she has been advising, mentoring, and consulting creative entrepreneurs worldwide. Her knowledge of the business and her passion for successful entrepreneurship have made her the industry’s most recognized advocates for business success. Her book “Do What You Love–Love What You Do, The Step–by–Step Guide to Creative Business,” is hailed as the best business guide on the market.

so i am wondering why i have lack of clarity and focus at this time...i need to follow my own advice and teaching...i opened my book this morning searching for the passages about passion and realized i need to sit down and read my own book!!! and do what i have always told students to do -- ACT!!!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

"But, ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, 'Do not fear, only believe.'" -Mark 5:36

only believe...even when waves of fear begin to erode your belief...stand firm

for when the wave retreats...

you can just...

BE

as i told you yesterday, i was inspired to write in the sand...i wrote Believe with a shell as my pen...a few minutes later a wave came and washed over most of the word as you see in the second photo...after i snapped it i walked on, down the beach...when i returned after my walk i found this "Be" still there...